


Uncharted Terrain

by flynnXrathbone



Series: Kadara Tales [8]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Developing Relationship, Emotional bonding, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Jaal POV, Jaal and Liam are bros, Nomad road trip, PS so does Jaal, Pining, Pre-Friend or Foe?, Ryder is a Mess and I love her, post-Hunting The Archon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-11 18:52:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13530438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flynnXrathbone/pseuds/flynnXrathbone
Summary: Angara are free with their emotions. Humans, less so (much to Jaal’s dismay).





	1. Chapter 1

Jaal Ama Darav: unremarkable scion of a distinguished Havarlian clan. Errand boy to the head of the Resistance. And most recently, abysmal failure at interpreting alien emotions. Another stellar achievement to add to the list, he sighs.

He’d been sure that things were going well. But lately, he can’t get a moment alone with Ryder, to find out what he’s done wrong, or to apologize, or to ask if he should return to Resistance headquarters on Aya, since he clearly makes her so uncomfortable.

And now, as if in mocking answer to his distress, fate has drawn the Tempest back to Kadara, the roiling cesspool of the galaxy. What had Liam called it? “A wretched hive of scum and villainy?” It’s an unusually flowery turn of phrase for Liam, but Jaal wholeheartedly agrees. In fact, among the many beings, angara and alien, he’s discussed the subject with, only Ryder finds Kadara beautiful. The realization twists his stomach painfully.

They’d kissed at length after having that conversation. Passionately. Tenderly. Jaal hadn’t been expecting it. Overcome with emotion, he’d written her a letter that night confessing the depth of his feelings. “My dearest,” it began. Recalling the rest of the letter now makes Jaal burn with shame and regret. He’s no stranger to rejection, but this one hurts more than most.

Kallo’s voice on the comms breaks through his misery. “We’ll be planetside in 20; ready your suits and gear.” Jaal hurries to the cargo bay, aching and anxious and eager. Ryder is already there, armor half on, buffing some minor scratches out of her chest plate with a soft cloth and korkro wax. She doesn’t even glance up at his approach, continuing her task with grim determination.

“Ryder,” he says, his throat tight. “Please tell me what I’ve done to offend you. I would like to set things right.”

“It’s nothing. We’re cool,” she mutters, her cheeks growing red. Ordinarily Jaal finds this human quirk endearing, but today the sight pains him. Like flaming darts burrowing through his chest and searing his viscera.

“Jaal, mate!” Liam bounds noisily into the cargo bay and lands a playful punch on his arm. “You just lost me twenty credits.”

“Pay up, Kosta,” Vetra calls from the mezzanine. “I don’t accept IOUs.”

“What? How?” Jaal shakes his head, puzzled. 

“I bet you’d be the last one off the Tempest. Because Kadara, yeah? But Vetra thought we’d find you at our fearless leader’s side.” Liam elbows Ryder and winks.

“Jesus, Liam, not now,” Ryder groans, rolling her eyes. 

“Fair enough,” he says with a knowing grin. “Anyway, boss, what’s on the docket today?”

“Just some light recon, geotagging resources, that kinda thing,” Ryder replies. “Addison wants Ditaeon up and running, but Kandros and Tann aren’t willing to commit yet. ‘Lawless exiles, doomed to fail,’ blah de blah blah.”

“So we’re here to prove them wrong,” Liam says, nodding. “Sooner we can establish an outpost here, sooner we can start getting our people back.”

An optimistic view, likely unwarranted. But Jaal keeps this assessment to himself.

“Exactly,” Ryder says. “Liam, wanna tell Cora to be ready in 5?”

“Negative,” Cora yells from the bio lab. “I’m needed on Tempest guard duty. We already had that incident with the Nomad—can’t afford more assets going missing.”

“I said I was sorry!” Gil grouses from the engine room.

Ryder curses softly. “Peebs?” 

“No can do!” the asari chirps over the comms. “Poc needs some love today.”

Vetra sidles over with a smirk. “Don’t bother, Ryder. I already told you that Drack and I have a... business meeting this morning. In the market.”

“Guess it’ll be the three of us,” Liam says, grinning again. “Although, y’know, there are messages I’ve been meaning to catch up on... Verand, Bradley...”

“Don’t you dare,” Ryder hisses fiercely. Then, louder: “You’re all dead to me, by the way.”

“Awww, we love you too, Ryder. Have fun with the boys!” Peebee’s sing-song tone crackles over the comms and Jaal is sure there’s a joke he’s missing. The nuances of alien intonation are still tricky for him to interpret. 

As Ryder stalks off to ask Gil about the latest upgrades, Jaal turns quizzically to Liam. “Don’t worry, my man,” Liam whispers. “I’ve got your back.” 

“I don’t understand,” Jaal says. “Do you know why Ryder is avoiding me?”

Liam looks guilty. “She... um... she may have mentioned it,” he admits. “Nothing bad! But I told her she should talk to you directly, and, well. You know Ryder. Heartfelt conversations are her kryptonite.”

“Is that an Earth mineral?”

“Nevermind,” Liam sighs. “Just... we’re all rooting for you, yeah? It’ll get sorted soon.”

——————

The sun is high in the sky by the time the Nomad is speeding through Kadara’s tortuous mountain passes. Jaal is grateful for the climate control in the rover—the sulfurous outdoor air makes his skin itch and crack—even though it doesn’t filter out the smell. 

He longs for the humid, shady jungles of Havarl, fragrant with blossoms and decomposing plant life. And his family—it’s been too long since he’s visited. Sometimes he feels overwhelmed at home, like he’s the only one who hasn’t figured out who he’s supposed to be. But living so far away he misses them painfully, particularly here, surrounded by strangers whose customs baffle him.

“C’mon, Ryder,” Liam is wheedling. “You’ve got to be sick of driving by now.”

“Not a chance!” she shoots back, and Jaal unsuccessfully stifles a laugh. 

Liam mock glares at him. “Traitor.”

Jaal shrugs, grinning. “It is, of course, the Pathfinder’s prerogative to drive.”

“THANK YOU, Jaal, that’s what I’ve been saying all along!”

“...provided that there are still components large enough to operate once we’ve reached the bottom of this mountain.”

“Hey!” Ryder protests, as Liam high-fives Jaal with a whoop. “I am GREAT at this! SAM, back me up!”

The AI’s disembodied voice fills the cabin. “Ryder, my default protocols prevent me from telling lies. Are you authorizing a temporary override?”

They laugh uproariously, joyful and unrestrained. “You’re all jerks,” Ryder huffs petulantly, though a smile tugs the corners of her mouth.

“I could get used to this,” Liam says when his giggles subside, wiping a tear away from his eye. “You two are real mates. I mean it.”

Ryder mumbles something Jaal’s translator fails to pick up.

“Thank you, Liam,” Jaal responds earnestly, grasping his shoulder. “When all this is over, you should visit Havarl with me. My family is eager to meet the Milky Way aliens fighting for our cause.”

“Here’s our stop!” Ryder crows, braking so abruptly that their bodies snap forward, pulling the seatbelts taut.

“You did that on purpose!” Liam protests.

“Who knows, maybe I’m just a bad driver.” Ryder’s eyes sparkle impishly.

They clamber out of the Nomad, taking stock of the terrain. The rover is parked on the mossy slope of some gently rising foothills, in the shadow of a vertiginous limestone spire. It’s a good vantage point to assess the valley below, which is dotted with sulfurous geysers, scrub brush, and mining probes.

“Um... Ryder?” Liam asks. “Is the ground supposed to be... shaking like that?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaal finds himself in unexpected peril.

Jaal opens his eyes to cool, musty darkness. There are several lumps and points digging into his spine, and his head is buzzing in a way he can’t identify. How did he get here?

“Jaal?” Ryder’s fearful voice cuts through the dark from somewhere nearby. “Are you ok?”

“Where are we?” he croaks. “What happened?” His throat feels like he’s been gargling Kadaran sulfur-water, and there’s a sharp, stabbing pain in his left arm and chest.

“Hang on, I’m coming to you,” Ryder says urgently. “You shouldn’t move until we figure out how badly you’re injured.”

He hears shuffling and a few stray pebbles skittering over the rock floor as Ryder crawls toward him. He feels her approach but can’t see anything, not even as her hand makes contact, gently, with the visor of his helmet.

“Ryder?” he asks weakly. “Where’s Liam?”

“Liam’s fine,” Ryder reassures him. “He took the Nomad to get help.”

“What happened?” Jaal asks again. 

“Don’t you remember? The earthquake opened a sinkhole.”

It’s coming back to him, gradually. The ground crumbling beneath his feet, the momentary panic of weightlessness. And Ryder screaming his name as he plummeted. “You didn’t fall.”

She clears her throat, and despite the pitch black, Jaal can tell from her tone of voice that she’s blushing. “Someone needed to rescue you.”

His heart flutters. Between that and the intense pain in his chest and arm, he’s finding it hard to focus. “Why is it so dark?”

“Lots of rocks falling from the mountain. They must have plugged the hole.”

“No, not—“ Jaal tries again. “I mean that I have seen you use a helmet lamp before.”

Ryder shakes her head. “The panel cracked last week. Vetra’s been looking for replacements. I didn’t think I’d need it today.”

Jaal laughs, and immediately grimaces in pain. “It seems we are in what Liam would call ‘a pickle.’”

SAM interjects. “Ryder, if you and Jaal are ready, I can assess his physiology now.”

“Thanks, SAM. Let’s begin.” A dim orange glow illuminates their surroundings as Ryder scans Jaal head to toe with her omnitool, and he breathes a little more easily. They are in a small karst cavern, similar to many that Jaal has seen in the Draullir region. The ceiling of the space is low, maybe only just high enough for Jaal to stand, except for a funnel-shaped shaft that rises far above the ground and ends in shadow. They won’t be able to exit the way they entered.

The glow fades, returning the cavern to pitch black, and SAM speaks. “Jaal has sustained three cracked ribs, a hairline fracture in his left arm, a concussion, and several contusions.”

“Will the medigel fix any of that?” Ryder sounds worried.

“It will ease his pain and stop any further internal bleeding. However, his other injuries require ion-bed rest and the assistance of Dr. T’Perro to heal.”

Jaal snorts. “We need to get back to Dr. T’Perro first. Ryder, help me up.”

“Jaal, wait,” she pleads. Powering her omnitool up again, Ryder uses the light to dig a syringe out of her belt pocket and inject the medigel where SAM directs. Jaal hisses in pain, and then marvels as the feeling subsides into a pleasantly numb warmth that spreads over the left side of his body. “Does that feel a bit better?”

“It does,” he admits. “Thank you, Ryder.”

“Will you rest here a little?” Ryder asks. “Give the medigel a chance to work its magic?”

“I suppose I could, as long as you leave your omnitool on.” 

Ryder furrows her brow, puzzled. “The signal won’t reach down here. SAM transmitted our location when we parked the Nomad, but we can’t actually contact the Tempest.”

“I understand,” Jaal says. “But it is hard for me to be in complete darkness. We angara learn to fear it at a young age, for the sake of self-preservation.”

He can see comprehension dawning on Ryder’s face, and then panic. “How long?” she whispers. “Before... you know... it hurts you?”

“The light will help,” he says. “But I am already injured, and it is not bright enough. Without sunlight, my body will grow weak in a few hours. It will become more difficult for me to think and move.”

Ryder sets her face grimly. “Then we can’t wait for Liam to get back. We need to find our own way out.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaal and Ryder work to find their way out, before it’s too late.

Making their way through the cave is slow. Jaal walks on his own, but every labored breath is painful, doubly so when he has to stoop his shoulders to pass where the ceiling hangs low, or twist sideways to squeeze through a narrow passage. 

Ryder stays at his elbow, silently watchful, ready to assist if the pain wins out and causes him to fall. She keeps her omnitool open, periodically scanning a branching path at SAM’s request, but mostly just letting Jaal take comfort in the dim glow. Still, it’s hard to keep his mind from wandering, beset by looming shadows and the even more chilling knowledge that they have no idea where they are going.

“Ryder,” he rasps. “Would you tell me a story?”

She must be able to read the fear in his eyes, because she doesn’t question this at all. “What do you want to hear?”

“Tell me more about your family, please.”

She looks thoughtful for a moment, weighing the options, before she speaks. “Hmm, where to begin?”

“Perhaps with your brother—were you close as children?”

A small, fond smile creeps across Ryder’s face. “Inseparable. You wouldn’t believe all the trouble we caused.”

Jaal inclines his head with genuine curiosity. “You must elaborate.”

Ryder laughs. “One time... wait, no, that story wouldn’t make any sense to you. Hmmmm... wanna hear how we got permanently banned from the salarian embassy on the Citadel?”

“I am ‘all ears’. Did I use that idiom correctly?”

“Perfectly!” Ryder replies. “Okay, so: we were about six years old, and our favorite game was pretending to be explorers on a faraway planet.”

“That seems appropriate,” Jaal smiles.

“I guess, but we based our game on popular action vids. We had a lot to learn about cultural sensitivity.” Ryder’s eyes sparkle mischievously as she continues. “Our favorite series was Brek the Krogan Commando. ...don’t you DARE repeat this to Drack, by the way.”

“I promise.”

“So here’s the scene: a couple of tiny human children, filthy from crawling through air ducts, falling out of the ceiling at the feet of the salarian attaché, and screaming that his office was forfeit to the might of the krogan horde.”

“Drack would LOVE that story.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of! Can you imagine how Tann would react?” Ryder dissolves in a fit of giggles. “We probably should’ve spent the night in a C-Sec holding cell, but the turian officer who picked us up could barely keep a straight face. Eventually the attaché agreed not to press charges, on the condition that we be kept at least 1000 feet away from the embassy at all times.”

Her giggles fade, gradually, but she still wears a faraway smile. “Mom was so mad at us for that.”

“I am surprised you made it to adulthood,” Jaal says with a grin. Sahuna Ama Darav would not have taken such misbehavior lightly.

Ryder’s story has cheered him, but failed to distract from his current peril. He does not know how long they’ve been wandering in the dark, or exactly how long he has before his body starts to shut down. It will be substantially sooner than normal, though, because of the trauma he’s already suffered. Jaal silently curses his younger self. If he’d been more attentive in biology class, he might know what to do now.

“You still with me?” Ryder asks, concerned.

“I am terrified,” Jaal admits. 

Ryder gently grasps his unbroken arm. “SAM and I will get you out of here. I promise.”

“Pathfinder, the charge on your omnitool is failing,” SAM interjects. “I recommend turning it off to conserve the remaining power. We may need the scanner again before we find an exit.”

Ryder looks up at his face, worried. Jaal nods resolutely and she complies, returning the cave to pitch black.

SAM directs them down several more pathways, but eventually his algorithmic predictions are exhausted. Jaal, too, is exhausted, from the physical exertion of his injured body as well as the psychological toll this place is extracting from him. 

“Ryder, stop.”

She braces his healthy arm and his back, helping him down to the cavern floor. Jaal lies on the cool, uneven stone, breathing in shallow, ragged gasps. His mind is wandering, thoughts dribbling away like water through open fingers.

“I’m sorry, Jaal.” Ryder’s voice cracks as she squeezes his hand. “I shouldn’t have pushed you away.”

“Water.” That’s the sound he’s hearing through the stone. “SAM,” he croaks. “Scan.”

“This may be your last use before the power is drained, Pathfinder.”

“Do it, SAM.” The scanner flares, like a tiny dying sun, and then sputters into darkness.

“Confirmed: there is a natural cistern in an adjoining cavern. I have mapped the most direct path.” 

“Stay with me, Jaal,” Ryder says urgently. “We’re almost there.”

He stumbles back to his feet, leaning heavily on her shoulder. They make their way forward, and Jaal notices a faint glow in the distance. Is he hallucinating? He doesn’t remember if that is a typical symptom of sun deprivation.

“Wow,” Ryder breathes, and Jaal hopes that this means his vision is real. Thousands of tiny lichen growths dot the cave ceiling and walls, emitting a soft blue glow. The light is reflected and magnified by a glassy reservoir below, which tapers to a thin stream on the far side of the chamber. 

Jaal takes several steps forward before his legs give way, and his mind goes blank.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Jaal in recovery, Ryder is finally ready to talk.

When Jaal opens his eyes, he’s vaguely aware of sunlight, his skin cells buzzing softly as his body fights to absorb the ionizing rays. Strong arms cradle his torso and legs, and pain burns through his chest and arm. Ryder’s face swims before his sight, and he loses consciousness again.

——————

Jaal dreams. He’s on Voeld, in the kett stronghold. He struggles to move, but his limbs are paralyzed by the Archon’s stasis field. Lining the walls are pods full of his loved ones. Sahuna. Lathoul. Teviint. The Moshae. Evfra. They’re changing before his eyes, transforming into monstrous creatures. He tries to scream. He’s submerged in inky black liquid, stinking of sulfur, which fills his throat and lungs. He’s drowning slowly. He’s going to die.

His eyes snap open, register a small ion lamp at his head, and drift closed again.

——————

He’s sitting with Ryder in his childhood bedroom on Havarl. “You’ve never been here,” he says. “This isn’t real.”

She smiles, looking deep into his eyes. “It could be.” There’s a rising current between them, and she cups his cheek with her palm. He leans toward her, aching to feel their lips meet.

Baranjj flings the door open. “Jaal, stop fooling around! You’re keeping our mothers waiting.” 

“Leave me alone,” Jaal groans. But Ryder has disappeared.

——————

“Ryder,” he murmurs, eyes fluttering open.

“Jaal, mate! We were so worried about you!” Liam looms over the bed, his face a mix of joy and relief. 

“Where’s Ryder?” Jaal croaks. “How did we get here?”

“She’s resting. You’ll see her soon,” Liam promises.

“Is she okay?”

“Fine, just a little overexertion. Apparently SAM modified her physiology so she could carry you out of the cave.” Liam grins. “She didn’t want to leave your side when we picked you up, but Lexi and SAM insisted she take a nap.”

Jaal remains silent, processing this information. 

“You’re going to be okay, too,” Liam reassures him. “Lexi says you’re out of serious danger, but we’re bringing you to Aya so you can recover properly.” 

“Thank you, Liam.” Jaal closes his eyes again, and relaxes into a dreamless sleep.

——————

He wakes feeling stronger. This time, Ryder is at his side. She takes his hand, gazing earnestly at his face. “I was afraid I would lose you,” she says. 

“It would take more than that to kill me,” Jaal responds, punctuating the sentiment with something between a wheeze and a laugh. 

Ryder doesn’t reply. She closes her eyes, and Jaal sees tears beading on her lashes. “Liam said I had to talk to you, tell you how I felt. And I knew he was right. But I couldn’t, y’know?”

“I am sorry, Ryder. I do not understand.”

She sighs and wipes her eyes. “Of course not. It’s easy for angara to discuss feelings.”

Jaal snorts. “Is that truly what you believe?”

“...yes?”

“No, it is not EASY, but talking is our way. My chest feels like it is being ripped open when I consider how I feel about you. But I respect you, Ryder. And I care too much about you to destroy our friendship because you do not think of me the same way.”

Ryder laughs mirthlessly. “I... fuck. Well, you make it LOOK easy, Jaal. I’ve never had anyone tell me that before. Everything you said in your letter.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and looks down at her feet. “I didn’t know what to do.”

“I am sorry that I made you uncomfortable,” Jaal manages. “I will not bother you any further.”

“No, that’s...” Ryder shifts in her seat. “You... are... dear to me, too. I... want you to, um. Keep bothering me.”

Jaal stares, uncomprehending. 

“I needed time to think,” she continues, the words tumbling out now. “We were moving so fast, and I... don’t trust myself. My judgment. I’ve put my faith in the wrong people, again and again. I thought... I was scared I would ruin this. Make you leave.” She caresses his cheek. 

Jaal gazes fondly at Ryder. “You would have to physically throw me off the Tempest, darling one. From what I hear SAM could help, if you ever decide you have had enough of me.”

The color rises in Ryder’s cheeks. “Say that again.”

“SAM could throw me off the Tempest?”

“No. What you called me.”

“Darling one,” Jaal repeats, and Ryder’s eyes shine with tears. 

“I like it,” she mumbles.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder and Jaal bond while he recovers on Aya.

It will take three long days of ion-bed rest on Aya for Jaal’s broken arm and ribs to heal. He hates staying closed in the protective pod, away from either action or proper relaxation, but both Lexi and Evfra are adamant. Ryder, on the other hand, is incredulous.

“Only three DAYS??? How is that even POSSIBLE?” 

She’s sitting at his bedside, bathed in midday sunlight refracted through the wall’s translucent panels. Outside the wall lies a lush Ayan valley, blanketed with ferns and vividly colored flowers. The view is scenic, Jaal grudgingly admits, but the effect is diminished by the sterile smell of recycled air in the medbay. 

“When I broke my arm as a kid, I had to wear a cast for two weeks. Mom said it would have taken even longer if we lived on Earth.” Her eyes are dancing with excitement, and Jaal feels his heart flutter. “I’ll bet every science-y type in the Initiative is drooling, thinking about the medical tech your culture has developed.”

“I’m afraid it may be less useful than you hope, darling one. From what Lexi tells me, high-dose ionizing radiation often proves detrimental to Milky Way species.”

“Damn,” Ryder says, crestfallen. “Well... at least I can still drool over your good looks.” She grins, endearingly pleased with her own awkward flirting, and Jaal wants nothing more than to hold her close, kissing until her cheeks grow red and her warm body trembles in his arms. Until she looks at him with her dark eyes shining as if he is axis of her galaxy. Like the morning they’d kissed in her room—two weeks ago? It seems like an eternity.

“Ryder,” he says softly, his heart in his throat. “I meant every word I wrote you. I consider myself fortunate with each moment we spend together.” He pauses, trying to choose his words carefully. “And I do not wish for you to... feel pressured, to... that is, I do not... assume. That I know what you want.” 

He’s tongue-tied, flustered as an adolescent. But Ryder seems to understand. Pressing her palm onto the side of his pod, leaning as close as she can actually get with the ion-shield barrier between them, she gives him a warm, languorous smile that makes his body burn and ache with longing. “How about this: once you’re back on the Tempest, I promise to tell you EXACTLY what I want.” There’s an unmistakeable heat in her gaze as she whispers, and a telltale flush building on her cheeks. 

Jaal swallows, fighting to keep his current steady. “I would like that very much.”

“Good!” Ryder says, straightening up with a wink. “Now it’s time for me to run. Any messages for Akksul?”

“Just be careful, my darling one,” Jaal replies, furrowing his brow. “He has become... unstable since his abduction.”

Ryder scoffs. “What’s the worst that could happen, with the Moshae right there?” 

And then she’s gone, leaving Jaal alone with his yearning daydreams. He stifles a groan. These three days can’t pass soon enough.

——————

The hours in the medbay drag except for Ryder’s twice-daily visits, in the afternoon and before she returns for the night to her quarters on the Tempest. The first evening, she’s frustrated and despairing about the outcome of the meeting.

“He compared us the the kett. And then he walked out. On the Moshae!” she complains, pacing next to Jaal’s ion bed. She punctuates the sentence by spreading her palms wide and looking at Jaal beseechingly. “I don’t know what else I could have done.”

He manages to comfort her. “Ryder, we cannot earn his trust in a day. You remember how doubtful I was when I first joined your crew.”

She sighs. “I guess.”

“We will prove to Akksul that you are worthy allies. Together.” He smiles fondly. “Just like you convinced Evfra.”

——————

When she arrives on the second day, Jaal is ready to crawl out of his skin from boredom. “Ryder, thank the stars,” he says. “Can you please keep me company? Perhaps tell me more about your family?”

She laughs. “No way, buster. You’ve already gotten one embarrassing childhood anecdote out of me. It’s your turn to share.”

“But I’m injured!” he protests playfully. “I have to lie in this bed ALL DAY!”

Ryder grumbles, but there’s a twinkle in her eye. “You’re lucky you’re so cute.”

——————

On the third day, Jaal is feeling wistful. “Of course, Aya is pleasant,” he sighs. “But there’s no place in the galaxy as beautiful as Havarl.”

Ryder nods sympathetically. “Believe me, I know. It’s hard to be so far from your home.”

“Darling one, would you... visit with me sometime?” he asks shyly. “Sahuna wants to meet you.”

“Only if she tells me ridiculous stories about you as a kid,” Ryder teases, and then sits up with a start. “Oh—I almost forgot! I need your help.”

Jaal looks on quizzically as she uses her omnitool to call up an unfamiliar map. “Is that Kadara?” 

She nods. “A previously unrecorded section of the Draullir cavern system. SAM created it using the data from our, um, misadventure.”

“Ryder, I am quite sure that none of my observations from that trip merit consideration.”

“That’s where you’re wrong!” she cries gleefully. “You found the natural cistern, remember? With the bioluminescent fungi?”

“I wasn’t sure that was real.”

“Well, you get naming privileges anyway. How does the Ama Darav Cistern sound?” Ryder is grinning from ear to ear.

Jaal groans. “I assure you that my family does not need the honor, and I do not want it.”

“You have to come up with something better, then,” she chides lightly.

“Why not Ryder Cistern?”

“HELL no,” she shoots back.

He laughs heartily, and realizes that for the first time in days, it doesn’t make his ribs sore. “You are a stubborn one.” 

Her eyes widen, and she smiles sweetly. “I have no idea what you mean.”

Jaal is struck by a fragment of a memory—her eyes wide as she stares down at his face, her arms holding his chest and legs. Thank the stars for her stubbornness, or he would have died in that cave. “You can call it Taoshay Cistern,” he says, finally.

“That’s beautiful,” she says. “What does it mean?”

He smiles. “I will tell you soon.”

——————

Ryder is pacing outside the medbay door when he is finally discharged on the morning of the fourth day. “Jaal!” She runs to him, eyes bright, but stops a few paces short, suddenly worried. “Can I... is it ok to...”

“You will not break me, darling one,” he teases. He extends a hand in invitation.

Ryder instead pulls him close, wrapping both arms around his torso and burying her face in his chest. It nearly knocks the wind out of him. 

They savor the walk back to the Tempest, twining their fingers together like besotted teenagers. They share a sweet, lingering kiss in the airlock, away from curious eyes. And then the door opens. 

Liam lets out a resounding whoop and tears off toward the bio lab, yelling, “Hey, Harper! You owe me 50 credits!”

Jaal is glad to be home.


End file.
